You Gotta Rock the Boat Before You Walk on Water…

The following is a reprint of one of my favorite posts that I hope will be an encouragement to you as you sail on the stormy seas that life brings our way....see if you measure up to the Lord's most engaged and valiant disciples...if not, the Lord's got you and is ready to lend a helping hand.

Now, I’m something of an expert when it comes to the title of today’s topic…not that I have ever walked on water; but, I sure have rocked the boat on more than one occasion.

It all goes back to my days in the Navy when I served as a helmsman for the motor whaleboat….a small, motorized craft about 20 feet or so that was used to carry the crew and more importantly, our commanding officer, from ship to shore. I worked along side a good friend of mine by the name of Tiny, a rather robust young man at 6’ 6” and 285 pounds.  Tiny was a Boatswain Mate Third Class and in charge of the motor whaleboat and the crew that ferried our shipmates to our port-of-call. I had the good fortune of being assigned to his detail and I learned a great deal from him, especially when it came to getting in and out of the boat.

The first time I was assigned duty on the launch, I proceeded to climb in the boat with little knowledge of where I should place my feet or how to move forward from the aft to the bow of this small vessel. Unfortunately, that lack of knowledge deposited me into the harbor and ruined my freshly-starched uniform…Tiny had a big laugh and I had to go back aboard the ship and change into another uniform. I never forgot what Tiny taught me regarding the boarding and unboarding of our craft…..and although, I often rocked the boat coming and going, I never fell in again.

I share this story because of the kinship it provides me with my favorite disciple, Peter and his story in Matthew 14:26-32 ….it is here, where Peter sees the Lord, walking on the water in the midst of a terrible storm.

We all know this story and too often, each of us may have chided Peter because of his failure to successfully navigate the stormy waters. It seems that after climbing out of the boat, as he begins to walk toward the Master, he is overcome by the wind and the swirling seas and he begins to sink. Jesus, in His loving spirit, takes hold of his hand and lifts him out of the raging seas and says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

It seems that Peter has failed…but, let’s examine this from a different vantage point. All the disciples where present…they all thought they had seen a ghost…they all feared for their collective lives …and they all had the same opportunity to rock the boat….that is, anyone of them could have called out to Jesus and said as Peter, “Lord, if it is you, command me to leave the boat (my addition) and to come to you on the water.”

But it was only Peter that was willing to risk the savage sea and the wild winds …only Peter was willing to rock the boat and step out in faith to meet his Lord in the storm. He was willing to leave what little security this tiny vessel offered and walk forward, climb over the bow and lower himself into the cold, dark sea.  No one offered a helping hand or even an encouraging word but our Lord….and He simply said, “COME!”

It is true that Peter’s step of faith left him soaked to the bone and maybe, somehow, his lack of faith diminished him in the eyes of the other disciples; but in the eyes of the Lord, though disappointed in the overall outcome, I’m sure Jesus was once again encouraged that Peter was on his way to becoming the man that He knew he could be….a man for all seasons.

And the same can be said for you and me, if we are willing to rock the boat and heed the Master’s call to come….to step out of our comfort zone….to dare to be all that He has called us to be.

We may falter and fall short of God’s desire for our lives….we may disappoint Him as doubts and fears creep into the fabric of our faith….but He will lovingly extend His nail-scarred hand and lift us out of the tempest-tossed seas of our lives and but us back into the boat ….and then the storms will cease….for He alone is the Son of God.

I encourage you today with this….

Don’t fear the storms of life as you sail through them….rather trust the Son of God, Jesus Christ and know that you will arrive safely home to spend eternity with Him. Until then keep,

Rocking the Boat…Expecting to walk on water,

WPQ

TELL ME THERE'S A HEAVEN

This is an up to date post of my life's next hurdle....

A little over two weeks ago, I suffered a heart attack, was rushed by medical helicopter to NE Georgia Hospital, received a stent and then came home on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the story continues as I am preparing for bypass surgery a week from this coming Monday....PRAYERS GREATLY APPRECIATED.....SO THE FOLLOWING IS THE MOST CURRENT UPDATE OF OUR JOURNEY BACK TO GOOD HEALTH....and please be much in prayer for my wife, Terri....she is an ANGEL when it comes to taking care of those she loves and I am EXTREMELY fortunate to be one of those people. But, let's be honest here, we men DO NOT MAKE THE BEST PATIENTS, USAUALLY BECAUSE WE LOSE OUR PATIENCE....I WILL TRY TO BE A MODEL PATIENT, BUT I HAVE MY DOUBTS.

Well, the countdown has begun. TQ and I drove down to Gainesville GA to meet with the anesthesiologist/ pre-onboarding team yesterday....next hurdle, Wed 7/22 when I am admitted for 5 days prior to my surgery to wean me from the blood thinner meds. Surgery is stilled scheduled for the morning of Monday 7/27....but while driving from our home to the hospital, we were listening to a Chris Rea cd with a song entitled, TELL ME THERE'S A HEAVEN...which got my poetic wheels turning; and though it does not "copy" the aforementioned song, it does use some of the thoughts and words upon which I built my poem. I believe the poem that follows speaks to a large population of our children with disabilities; so if you know a family that might need a word of encouragement, please feel free to share!!!!

TELL ME THERE’S A HEAVEN…..
(Inspired by the song of Chris Rea)

One day as I was sitting,
Upon my father’s knee.
I asked, please won’t you tell me
Of things that I can’t see.
I asked him what happens
to children born like me;
When their tired and broken bodies
So hunger to be free….

To escape the toils of living
And their troubles of each day…
Is there a place that’s waiting
Where they can run and play?
Oh, tell me there’s a Heaven
With sunshine and blue skies;
Where our little, tiny bodies
Can float past rainbows high.

And tell me there’s a Heaven
Where every mom and dad…
Will know that we are free at last;
There’s no reason to be sad.
Yes, tell me there’s a Heaven.
Oh, tell me that it’s true…
Tell me that it’s okay to go
And how much I’ll miss you….

Yes, tell me there’s a Heaven
For children just like me;
A Heaven meant for boundless joy
Who now live again as free…
Yes I know there is a Heaven
And I know that it is true
That one day there in Heaven
I will be with mom and you!

W. Patrick Queen © July 2026

WHAT STANDS IN OUR WAY?

What stands in our way of living each day

The kind of life we know that we should?

Just what can it be that keeps you and me

From doing our greatest good?

 

Is it money or fame or success that we seek

That keeps us from giving our all;

Are we too proud, too mighty, too weak,

Too concerned of how far we'll fall.

 

Should we try to disguise the fear in our eyes

When for our Savior we take a stand?

Yet, there is no better way for us to say

We've placed our lives in His nail-scarred Hands.

 

Therefore, you see that for you and me

If life's obstacles we overcome;

It is only His love that flows from above

That allows His will to be done.

 

So, don't be discouraged, don't give up;

Never say that it's time to quit!

'Cause just when you feel life's puzzle's too big

God's solution is the perfect fit !

 

No, you will never be what God wants you to be.

Life's barriers will stand in your way;

And you will never serve the Lord as you should

Until this prayer you are willing to pray...

 

Our Father, mold me, make me in thine Image.

Let my greatest desire be to serve you in spite

of the jeers of the crowd, the superficial response

of the lost or the disappointment and rejection

of those I seek to shower with your Love.

May I find contentment in sowing the seeds

of Your love and always allow you to reap

the harvest in Your season.  May I never allow

barriers to keep me from touching those in my 

world.

 

Amen.

 

WPQ ©1990

 

Will Satan Celebrate When You Leave This World?

Have you ever thought of what Satan will do when the Angel of Death comes to take you home? When you draw your last breath and your eyes close forever on this dying earth, will Satan stand idly by, bow his head and wish you good riddance...or will he gather his demons and throw one hellish party, celebrating your demise. So let's stop and take a moment to "flesh" this thought out....

HOW WILL SATAN REACT WHEN YOU ARE DEAD AND GONE?

He could face your calamity with a calm and cool demeanor, since you did very little to impend his progress of obtaining "souls" for his growing population in Hell. I mean, you were a BELIEVER in your heart, but your actions and the words that came from your mouth did little to convince others that you were an ardent follower of Christ. Or perhaps you did more than attend church on Sunday; but also came to Wednesday evening worship, sang in the choir and took your rotation in the Nursery, the fourth Sunday of every month...good for you; but that made little to no difference to the evil works of the devil. Or perhaps you went on an occasional mission trip, tithed when possible and tried to "love your neighbor as you loved yourself"? Sounds like you were on the right track, but you still were probably never really on the devil's radar as a "threat" to rob him of some of his converts.

It is only with the heart and mindset of Job that you would have given Satan cause for concern. In Job, chapter one, we find the devil (a fallen angel) in a conversation with God concerning Job and his faithfulness as "a perfect and upright man."  Satan contends that Job is upright in verse ten, saying... ¹⁰ “You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property. You make him successful in whatever he does, and his flocks and herds are everywhere. ¹¹ Try taking away everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹² The Lord replied, “All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don't harm Job.”    Then Satan left.

And so, calamity befalls Job, his family, his wealth and all that he has...only he and his wife remain. The devil thinks he has one; but JOB REMAINS FAITHFUL TO THE ONE TRUE GOD AND DOES NOT FOLD! So, the devil says, "let me take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face." God allows him access to Job's health, but he cannot take his life....and in Chapter 13, verses 13-15, Job gives his answer to all that he has endured in the loss of God's favor, when he says,

^"13 Be quiet, and I will speak. Let whatever comes happen to me .¹⁴ Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands? ¹⁵ Even if He kills me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways before Him.: HCSB

And though the Book of Job contains 42 chapters, the verses above are the bedrock of Job's faith from which he did not stray; you can bet that Satan threw a big party when Job died...for a testimony of faith like Job's can move mountains and change the hearts of men, turning them to God and the eternal love, forgiveness, grace and mercy that only HE CAN OFFER.

SO, are you a man (or woman) of faith, perseverance and "and a perfect an upright man of God." If so, you can be sure that Satan will not be attending your funeral. He will be too busy planning the party that celebrates your death; and rejoicing in the fact that you are no longer a 'thorn in his side' as he continues to recruit others for their eternal trip to hell...and if you have done a good job of telling your friends, family and those that God sends your way about the ONE TRUE GOD and the sacrifice of His Son for their sins...then, they will not be in attendance at Satan’s party for your send off!!!

Living to thwart Satan's Plans....Lighting the World with God's Love,

WPQ

 

DAY SIX-THE LAST POTHOLE

The Pothole of Bitterness...

The Heartache That Never Heals!

For at least the last ten years, my loving wife has been dealing with a botched crown job that has left her in much pain and discomfort; but, in just a few short days, our new (and highly skilled dentist) will be replacing that crown with a new and improved one. In this interim period of waiting for this new crown, my wife has mentioned on several occasions that she could not wait to "get rid of this horrible metallic taste in my mouth"....which got me thinking of all the times in my life that I have had this horrible taste in my mouth when someone I love, know and trusted has hurt me and shaken me to my core...that taste that truly starts in my heart and soul tells me that I have run headlong into the Pothole of Bitterness.

We have all been there. You are traveling the highway of life, minding your own business, when  someone says something that is totally false, fabricated and fictitious...with the sole aim of hurting you and damaging your reputation. You muster up the courage to take them on regarding this and to your total dismay, they are not the least bit repentant...how do you respond? For most of us, it is in that moment that we begin to experience that taste of bitterness. Or what about that promotion at work that you have poured your heart and soul into. You have done everything you can to get noticed so that the only logical choice is YOU...and then, the boss gives it to someone else with fewer skills and a whole lot less time on the job....and before you know it, here comes that test of bitterness that starts in our soul and works its way into our mouth (better watch what you say) and then into our actions (better watch what you do).

Or maybe you have been harmed physically by an abusive mother or father that treated you as a punching bag, blaming you for all their shortcomings and taking out their inadequacies by mistreating and belittling you...can you taste that terrible metallic bitterness as it begins to well up from your soul and makes you heart seem like a stone toward that parent? Or what upon that sibling that always seem to get what they wanted from your parents while  you, your brothers or sisters were scrapping for the tiniest bit of love and affection that might be leftover and fall your way. 

In the Bible, young Joseph, with his coat of many colors, certainly felt the bitterness of his brothers' hearts when they sold him into slavery and then convinced their father that Joseph had been attacked by a wild animal and killed. If you know the story of Joseph and all the heartache and hardships that he endured as a captive in Egypt, it is easy to imagine that bitterness was at the heart of his survivorship. Rather, it was the desire to see his family again that spurred him on as he followed the leading of the one true God and became second in command, only to the Pharaoh. At long last, when his brothers came to Egypt in search of food, he revealed himself to them. This could have been one of those scenes where they were all cast into a dungeon, never to see their father or the light of day again; but Joseph did not live in bitterness but rather in love and forgiveness...thus he brought the whole family to Egypt to once again live as a family under the covenant of the mighty Jehovah God.

When it comes to the pothole of bitterness, you are faced with two choices of how you will react to having such a jarring experience. You can move forward in retaliation, or you can release your anger and hurt in forgiveness...the choice is always YOURS!

Unfortunately for most people (Christians included), we see the course of retaliation as the correct course of action. After all, these people (our boss, parents, siblings, co-workers; the list goes on and on), they should be held accountable for their words, deeds and actions that harmed us in such a way...in fact, if we don't punish them, how will they ever learn not to treat others the way they treated us? God has something to say about that ....simply,

"VENGENANCE BELONGS TO ME; I WILL REPAY!' "Deuteronomy 32:35

So if God is in the business of setting things right and seeing that they learn their lesson, what should we do? Romans 12:20-21 says, "Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome with evil, rather overcome evil with good." And I call that RELEASE....you let go and let God. You were never meant to punish those that harm you; that activity belongs to a holy and righteous God. You were made to trust God and His infinite wisdom...you are to leave the details of who, how, when and why someone receives their "crops" from the seeds of destruction they have sown. Trust me, God has a whole lot more in store for them than you or I could ever imagine!

So forgive, forget and get back on the road to the abundant life that God has in store for you. Please don't let the pothole of bitterness wreck your life as you struggle each day to carry the baggage of hurt, hate and heartache from the evil someone has inflicted on you. Yes, there will be wounds that may never heal; scars that are visible and deeply etched into your soul...but the good news is simple....GOD LOVES YOU AND WHEN ALL IS OVER ....YOU WIN!!!!

Living Triumphantly.....Tasting the Sweetness of His Goodness,

WPQ

 

Poem for the Day...
Life can have its ups and downs
And people can be cruel;
But we who trust in the Father's love,
We follow the Golden Rule.
 
We don't allow the Evil one
To steal our joy away.
We gladly shun the bitterness
That life may bring our way.
 
We walk where God will lead us
And trust in His recompense
For someday in the future
His ways will all make sense!
 
WPQ 2017
 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY FIVE-The Pothole of Failure....

Living in the Community of "what if?"

If you are living in this world and are not acquainted with failure, then I must question you and ask...."Are you really living at all?" Let's be honest, we all have failed. In fact, the Bible tells us in Isaiah 53:6,"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" OR as I would paraphrase, "We have all failed to live as God intended, doing our own thing and hoping He would approve; but because of our disobedience, God has punished His own Son for our failures and He has borne the weight of our sin so that we might be declared righteous before a Holy God."

Now that's failure on a spiritual level; but what about the failure that comes into our lives and often paralyzes us so that we cannot move forward.

Like the pothole of failure when we marry the "love of our life" and after 25+ years of what we assume is wedded bliss, our partner walks out the door without so much as a goodbye or thank you for the years we've spent together...and you are overcome by the enormous feeling of failure.

Or what about that business you started in your youth. You poured all your time, energy and money into building a successful company and in so doing, neglected so much of your life and its other duties; then, in a  twinkling of an eye, it all come crumbling down, as you file for bankruptcy and have to begin life again in your twilight years....WHAM...SLAM... BAM...as you ricochet from the direct hit in the pothole of failure.

Then of course there is the loss of your physical health and the failure that you feel every time you look into a mirror. Gone is that handsome, debonair young man or that gorgeously-striking, young woman. Now you find yourself staring at a image of someone that remotely resembles the person you used to be...One hundred pounds overweight, losing hair, wrinkles upon wrinkles,  poor health and this terrible feeling that you failed to live up to the potential that you had as a younger adult...and no matter how you try, the failure of losing your health and your youth trap you into believing that life might as well be over.

But how does God view failure?  I believe God sees failure as the human condition...since the first bite of the apple and the curse of sorrow, pain and endless toil to exist, God knew that man would strive to succeed; however, in his own strength, man is destined to fail. Don't believe me...consider Peter, and the testimony of this ardent follower of Christ. He traveled almost all the way to the cross with his Master...devoted, loyal and ready to fight to save Jesus; however, when Jesus needed Peter to be the "Rock" and stand firm, what did Peter do?

HE FAILED MISERABLY....in fact, if Jesus had not prayed to the Father on behalf of Peter, his failure might have been insurmountable. In Luke 22, verse 31 and 32 from The Living Bible we read, "Simon, Simon; Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers.” Yes, Christ knew that Peter would fail...that he would deny three times that he even knew this man called Jesus, and if left to his own device, the failure foretold by the Savior would become a pothole for Peter from which he might never recover. But praise be to God that He is able to take our failures and make them turn out for our GOOD and His GLORY...and it is only God that can accomplish that in us.

We can take our failures and let them define who we are, and what we can or cannot do; but God, in His infinite wisdom, sees beyond the failures, the pain, the emotional scars and He breathes new life into our being, so that we can move up, move forward and move beyond the failures that may hold us captive. GOD ALWAYS HAS A BETTER WAY...He is just waiting for us to put aside ourselves and our disappointments and look to Him for new challenges and new opportunities to serve Him so that He receives the glory due Him.

Just look at Peter and the man he became when the risen Christ asked him, "Peter, do you love me?" His emphatic answer was, "Yes, Lord, you know that I do!" To which Jesus replied, "Feed my lambs." And after asking the same questions two more times, Peter, now grieved in his spirit said, "Lord, you know all things; You know that I love you." And in a loving manner that only Jesus could express to one that had so miserably failed Him, He told Peter to feed his sheep and to follow him, even if it led to death...which is just what the great apostle Peter did.

So, have you been struck by the pothole of failure...are you sitting on the apron of life's highway as the hustle and bustle of life races by? Have you given up and accepted your fate that your are just a miserable failure? Then, maybe it's time to ask yourself....do you love Jesus...because if you do, you know this....GOD DON'T MAKE NO JUNK...AND HE IS NOT IN THE FAILURE BUSINESS!!

It's time to trust in God, love Him as He intended, and move out in the faith that He has something for you to do that only YOU can accomplish....and since He is still working in and on you, He won't quit until you are just like Jesus!

Living to be like Jesus...Loving the Life set before me,

WPQ

 

 

Poem for the Day:

We can face life's darkest hour
Confident in our strength and power;
But knowing that we gave our best
May not pass the failure test.
 
For doing what we deem is right
By turning darkness into light;
With Christ beside me I cannot fail
No matter what….I shall prevail!
 

DAY FOUR-The Pothole of Guilt & Regret....

Anchored to the Past...living in the ruins!

I don't know about your days of childhood, but my were filled with carefree play and time with my neighborhood pals...romping up and down our street, doing what little boys do and more often than not, getting into trouble....nothing major, just stuff that we were hoping won't be noticed by the grownups.

Invariably, we would do something that we knew was wrong... like turn over someone's birdbath or knock the heads off of some pretty flowers with our baseball bats. Then, like roaches exposed to the light in a dark room, we would all go scurrying off to our homes with one thought in our little boy minds...DON'T TELL ANYONE WHAT WE HAD DONE. Doing that was never easy for me because my parents were raising me to be honest, truthful and "a good boy." So when I didn't squeal on myself or my pals, I always had this terrible feeling come over me as I tossed and turned in my bed at night...that feeling was GUILT...and until I came clean and confessed my wrong doings to my parents, it would not go away.

For a lot of people on the road of life, they have encountered the pothole of GUILT and it's family member of REGRET. Now, they are not living with the transgressions of their childhood pranks, but they are dealing with some serious stuff that has left them broken-down on the side of the road as they try and push away the guilt from an extramarital affair. They may have long since stopped the action of giving themselves to another person who is not their spouse, but the guilt and shame of that action of infidelity hangs over them and they still cannot bring themselves to let go of the pain and shame they caused their spouse, even when they have been forgiven. And it is in that failure to let go that they continue to build those walls of discord and discontent that keeps them from re-building the marriage they once had or hoped for when love was in full bloom.

Or what about that woman that did what she now considers unthinkable as she bore a child out of wedlock and then gave away her baby because of the societal mores that she was under. She relives every day that moment when her child was taken away and regrets the decision to let the child go...how does she live with the pain of guilt and regret that wells up every time she sees a photo of someone's new grand child or holds a baby in the nursery at church?

Or what about the person that spread some terrible lies about the person in the next cubicle at work and in so doing got a co-worker fired. Now, those actions and those words spoken have left an indelible mark on the soul and the guilt haunts every interaction with those still in the workplace. 

Or what about you and me and our relationship with a Holy Creator. We know that we have sinned and that our relationship is broken with our Heavenly Father, but we think that at the right time, when we get our act together, we will come to God with our cleaned up life and make amends for all our wrong doing...but until then, we will just have to deal with the guilt and the regrets that we carry for a life carelessly lived. But to me the pothole of guilt and regret is even worse and does far more damage in the life of a Christian that will not forgive themselves for their transgressions against God.

They have accepted the grace of God but are not at peace with God because they are still toting around the guilt that came with their sin. They have not learned the truth that when God forgives, GOD FORGETS....He do longer holds the sin against you for the debt and the punishment due you for your sin has been PAID IN FULL by Jesus. So when you continue to carry the guilt or live in regret for your sins of commission or your sins of omissions, you are telling God that the sacrifice of Jesus was not enough to pay for your sins....that it is only through your guilt that you can be made whole....and to that I say.....HOGWASH!!!!!  God's Word says it best in Romans 5:1 which says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." And that peace is made manifest by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and through the power of the spirit all GUILT and all REGRET is cast out...you just have to let it go and get back to traveling the road of life with this one central thought....

WHATEVER I HAVE DONE, THE BLOOD THAT CHRIST  SHED FOR ME HAS COVERED MY SIN AND NOW I AM FREE...A NEW AND GLORIOUS CREATION THAT HAS BEEN SET FREE..NO LONGER SHACKLED TO MY SINFUL PAST, BUT ALIVE IN CHRIST!!!!

Make this your mission statement ....Letting go of the past, holding firm to my Savior, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength...there is no pothole that can keep me from my journey's end... GOING HOME WITH MY LORD WHERE ETERNITY AWAITS!!!!!

Dodging the potholes....Letting Jesus steer,

WPQ

 

Poem for the Day....

Life's potholes may get the best of you

     As you are tossed both to and fro:

    And you may question the Father's love, 

    Unsure which way to go...

 

But never doubt how much He cares for you,

As you travel life's highways;

The Father's love will see you through

To Eternity one day....

 

And when you enter those pearly gates

To be met by those above;

The Father's arms will be opened wide

As your welcomed Home in love.

 

WPQ 2017